Our dedicated Youth Team is stepping up to make a real difference in the lives of young people and families.
With a variety of engaging and creative projects, the team is helping to address local challenges, support individual growth, and foster a sense of belonging and achievement.
No day is ever the same for the Youth Team, who work with diverse groups each facing their own unique challenges. From school groups to individuals exploring new opportunities, learning both personal and practical life skills, improving their resilience, wellbeing and mental health and boosting their future prospects.
Empowering School Groups Through Hands-On Learning
One of the standout initiatives is the Youth Team’s work with local school groups. Pupils who may struggle in a school setting have been thriving as they come together in workshops to develop new skills and put them into practice. Whether it’s learning how to build something in the workshop or working together on group projects, these experiences are helping pupils grow in confidence and gain valuable life skills.
The Next Steps Project: Exploring North Wales and Building Friendships
The Next Steps project has been a huge success (currently in its 12th year!). Participants typically face multiple challenges or barriers in their day to day lives predominantly with their mental health. The groups share a wonderful, ‘group led’ varied programme with participants not only learning new skills like making pizzas from scratch, team building activities and challenges and the chance to leave their local area and explore the beauty of Wales with beach visits, countryside walks or visiting well known beauty spots further afield. For one young person, a trip to a waterfall was a truly eye-opening experience.
“I loved visiting the waterfall today,” they shared. “I would never have seen it if we hadn’t come here. I’ve never been to this part of Wales before.”
It’s moments like these that highlight the value of the Next Steps project – offering young people the opportunity to experience new things and build lasting friendships.
Safer Streets Project: Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour and Building Skills
The Safer Streets project works alongside specific High Schools with pupils selected due to being involved in or at risk of becoming involved in anti-social behaviour either in school or outside of school. The project focuses on raising awareness of and tackling anti-social behaviour, with in depth discussions around tolerance, consequences and decision making; participants also work towards qualification with a teamwork theme.
As part of this groups have completed positive ‘feel good’ community projects which have included brightening up public spaces and areas of their schools with artwork. These teamwork community projects are a fun and rewarding experience that bring everyone together. Many of the young people involved have expressed how much they look forward to their Thursdays with the group, which has become their favourite day of the week.
The Youthshed: A Creative and Supportive Space
The Youthshed offers a creative and supportive ‘safe’ space for young people to express themselves, chat, and enjoy a relaxed atmosphere, suiting individuals who are perhaps struggling in school (anxieties and mental health, bullying, ADHD or Neurodiverse etc).
The sessions offer the opportunity for individuals to get creative, take out some anger by bashing up a pallet or the chance to sit quietly creating their own masterpiece!
Those who attend have built a strong sense of community, with many describing the group as a ‘big family.’ The Youthshed is a place where individuals can be themselves, create, and connect with others, making it a vital part of the Youth Team’s work.
Happy Families: A Supportive Network for Young Parents
The Happy Families group has become a powerful support network for young parents. These groups have grown into a caring and positive community were parents offer each other encouragement, advice, and friendship.
Parents can explore enjoyable, low-cost or free activities and craft ideas for the whole family, while also gaining practical advice on topics such as money management, budgeting, energy-saving tips, and emotional support to help at home. One participant shared,
“I feel very lucky to be part of such a wonderful community of parents. It has really helped me get out of the house, interact with other parents, and have other babies for my little one to play with.”
With each project, the Youth Team is creating opportunities for individual growth and fostering a sense of connection and care within communities. From learning new skills to making lasting friendships, the work being undertaken by is making a difference in the lives of young people and families.
Our Youth Team project would not be possible without the support of our funders who can be found HERE.
To find out more about our Youth Team’s current projects please get in touch [email protected]